Nearly 50,000 people cheered in celebration when Rio de Janeiro was announced as host of the 2016 Olympics, jumping and shouting in a Carnival-like party on Copacabana beach.
A huge roar was heard at the famed beach the moment International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said the words "Rio de Janeiro" to announce the winner in Copenhagen today.
As popular President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and football great Pele celebrated in Denmark, the Cariocas, as Rio citizens are known, raised their arms to celebrate on Copacabana, frantically waving flags and hugging each other.
The party was expected to go well into the night, and officials said the crowd would easily surpass 100,000 people.
Meanwhile, thousands of people stood in bewildered silence in downtown Chicago today after the International Olympic Committee surprised everyone by dumping the city from the race for 2016 Summer Olympics in the first round of voting.
The vote in Copenhagen was carried on huge television screens set up in the Daley Center to carry what many had hoped would be approval of Chicago as host. It had seemed so likely to many in a city still basking in the glow of hometown Sen. Barack Obama's election as president.
Instead, Chicago was bounced in the first round, bringing an audible gasp from the crowd. The elimination came so quickly that some would-be revelers weren't sure what had happened and they asked bystanders if they had heard what they thought they heard.
Many stood for a few minutes, staring at the screens, and at least one flung his hands into the air in a crude gesture toward the TVs. Within seconds, people began filing out of the plaza.
"I've never really had a disappointment like this," said Ken Rudd, a 33-year-old salesman from Evergreen Park. "This is one of the saddest things I've ever seen."
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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Give me an "O"!!!!!
And how many tax dollars did our illustrious president waste in his losing bid to charm the
Olympic committee into choosing him? Oh wait, I mean Chicago.
The Olympic Committee has sense! Why would anyone want to go to Chicago--even if Obama used to live there?
Not to worry, they will figure out how to blame it on Bush by this afternoon. "at least one flung his hands into the air in a crude gesture toward the TVs." That is one reason Chicago didn't get it. Thank God!
RIO and South America deserve it.
The IOC must be racist if they disagree with Obama eh?
Crude jesture? Flipping off the world is about what you'd expect, and exactly the kind of reason Chicago was out of the running so quickly-- that and the fact that it has the South Side. But if Rio gets picked, expect truck loads of dead kids hauled out of town in preparation for it's international guests. I'm hoping for Madrid even though Barcelona's turn wasn't all that long ago. Wasn't London once in the running for this go 'round?
@paulwheeler - Probably the same amount of tax dollars that were wasted during other bids, by other presidents!
It's Rio.
London is hosting the 2012 games. Keep up.
Sorry, sorry. It's not something I really care much about except when it's actually happening. I just happened to be home today watching the tube.
Only city more violent and crime laden than Chicago. Good choice.
spotted assassin, name one of those other bids
Tell me when another president has flown himself and his entourage to a foreign city to openly politic for an olympic bid.
Paul: He can't. It has never been done before by an U.S. president.
Big surprise that the Non-Minority IOC rejected the President, the First Lady and Oprah! These three never had a chance with the Ol Boy IOC. It just goes to show you how unfair the world is and that the non minorities are all still out to get Us. - JUSTUS4
O! NO! ACORN has no pull in Copenhagen voting! What a looser Obama, now we all know~
LolaJ - LOL! But they were all his socialist buddies, weren't they? "THE EGO HAS LANDED"
Well atleast they tried, maybe we will get it another time, it's not the end of the world. But I guess since Obama, Michelle and Oprah went over as part of the US delegation and since they selected Rio, I guess now the hate can continue to spew towards them three LOL.
Anyone that celebrates this loss is not thinking outside of their box. That's hundreds if not thousands of jobs lost for Chicago. They did a great job picketing to ban the Olypmics. Too bad that will be their only job.
The world rejects socialism!!!!!!
Haha LolaJean. That was $$$$ well spent. Hmm wonder if that money could have gone to help the 9.8% unemployed or the 263,000 lost jobs. Oh well, look at the bright side world, those 3 had a great trip.
poor obongo............ i guess the eggplant is not the king of the world like his ego believes. hahahhahaaaa
Obama is so great! He can do ANYTHING!! Ooops, no, wait...
The IOC didn't like some of the events PresBo had proposed as demonstration sports for the games. There was the high-hurdles while carrying a plasma TV, the marksmanship from a moving vehicle, the we gotz the rhythm gymnastics, the swimming only in the shallow end wearing a life jacket, the sprint from the baton not carrying the baton etc. Oh well....
The US will have another shot again, Chicago was 1 of 4 cities left so that was a good thing. So I guess the Obama HATE can continue. It's ashame Americans didn't want the Olympics to be in the US, to come out against it like some of is something else. Life goes on and so will the HATE for Obama LOL...
I wonder why so many WHITE people hate Obama, oh I know.
keep tellin yourself that jackyfruity. look in the mirror
I wonder why so many WHITE people in the SOUTH hate Obama, oh I know.
I wonder how many WHITE people across America laughed at the US (in particular Obama) losing the Olympic bid? Is there a survey, I hope so by next week the numbers will be out.
I wonder how many WHITE people felt PAIN when Chicago lost the Olympic bid? I wonder did their hearts ache for the United States?